How to create emotions for an emotionless character was the challenge for this project. Connor is a character with a mission in mind, and throughout this singular vision, things can change as well as questions will rise to challenge this mission.

I made an effort to “become” Connor by play every instrument and every note of the score somehow or another. For the colors of the score, I relied heavily on vintage and custom synthesizers, modular synths, custom instruments as well as modified western instruments such as Violin and Violas. One of these custom instruments is a 20 Foot Guitar built via inner working of an android in mind. With this instrument mostly making sub frequencies, the mechanism had to be designed carefully and strategically for the creation of the sound and the methods of capturing this sound. Contact microphones and amplifiers were used prominently for this Guitar with an electroacoustic philosophy in mind. The String family for this project, more specifically the Violin and Violas, were strategically rebuilt. The strings, bridge, and bowing methods were explored to capture the interesting colors of the project. Also, unplugged electric Violin, Viola, and Cello were recorded to create a cold unfiltered sound. The Resonant Garden, and Mescaline build by the amazing FOLKTEK group were used prominently for some of the melodies as well as creating the pads and the atmospheres of the score. For the main motif of Connor, I used a Vintage Moog Voyager to create a sense of weight as well as simplicity for the theme.

Masculine

Resonant Garden

20 Foot Guitar

HOSTAGE was one the first tracks I wrote for the project after the suite. Also being the very first scene of the game, it introduces us to Connor as well how the story develops and proceeds. You can hear the Connors motif right at the beginning combined with the modified Strings. In the track DEVIANT, you can hear the custom Guitar at the beginning which symbolizes the non-conforms of the androids. For this track, I wanted to capture perfection with a bit of imperfection. THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME is one of the action tracks of the project where you can hear the percussion and drums that I played. Some of the virtuosic string playings of Navid Hejazi can be heard in this track as well. KAMSKI that captures the unnerving of Connor and how doubts are setting in. The ticking clocks, unsettled strings as well as detuned custom Guitar are prominent throughout the track. CONNOR SUITE is the exploration of ideas, themes, variation and colors and how the music can and will shift as the story develops and changes.